Elastic fluid generator



Jan. 14, 1941. Q L. WOQD 2,228,938

ELASTIC FLUID GENERATOR Filed July 26. 1938 1 Figa. 34

atentecl Jan. 14, 1941 'i UNITED STATES ELASTIC FLUID GENERATOR Orla L. Wood, Schenectady, N. Y., assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application July 2s, 193s, serial No. 221,315

5 Claims.

rI'he present invention relates to elastic fluid generators or boilers in which fluid is heated in tubes lining the wall of a heating chamber or furnace. More particularly, the invention relates to generators in which fluid is heated to high temperatures of the order of 1000 F., as is the case in mercury boilers. These high temperature's cause considerable expansion' of the heating tubes and relative movement between them and the Walls of the heating chamber adjacent thereto. The relative movement between the heating tubes and the Walls necessitates the provision of special means for supporting both the tubes and the walls and for guiding the tubes and maintaining their relative position during operation.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved construction and arrangement of elastic fluid generators of the type above specified whereby heating tubes lining the walls of a heating chamber are free to expand relative to the insulating wall of the chamber and are retained in their proper relative positions.

For a consideration of what I believe to be novel and my invention, attention is directed to the following description and the claims appended thereto in connection with the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing Fig. 1 illustrates a mercury boiler embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged section along the line. 2-2 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is an enlarged section along the line 3-,3 of Fig. l; and Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of a part of Fig. l.

The arrangement comprises an annular row of heating tubes I0 defining a combustion chamber I I. Intermediate portions I2 of the tubes are curved inward towards the center of the chamber and spaced to permit the discharge of combustion gases. Upper portions I3 of the tubes form several parallel rows connected attheir upper ends to a vessel or drum I4. Each tube has an extension I5 with a downwardly curved material and these walls are enclosed by a sheet metal casing 2|. The lower portion of the wall 2U may consist oi several layers or sections 22, 23 of diierent kinds of heat-resistance and heatinsulating material, as is common in boiler practice. The lower or straight portions of the tubes I0 forming the combustion chamber IIvaresubstantially vertically arranged and line the walls 20 While the upper portions I3 of the heating tubes are disposed centrally within the space defined by the walls 2li. A boiler of this general type is disclosed in the copending application of W. L. R. Emmet, Serial No. 22,119, iiled May 17, 1935, and assigned to the same assignee as the present application.

lDuring operation, mercury liquid is conducted through the down-tubes I9 to the lower headers I8, whence it flows up through the up-tubes I0 and is partly evaporated, the mixture of liquid and vapor being discharged through the curved extensions I5. The liquid thus discharged is recirculated and the vapor is discharged through the vapor conduit Il.

The heating in the chamber II takes place primarily by radiation, whereas the heatingv of the upper straight portions I3 of the tubes takes place primarily by convection. In order to provide a circuitous path for the combustion gases leaving the chamber Il and to cause these gases to iiow across the upper tube portions I3, baiiles .24 and 25 are connected to opposite portions of the wall 20 and made of heat-resistant material. Portions of these baiiles are supported on spaced colalrs 26 and 21 formed on the upper tube portions I3. The bottom portion of the drum I4 is also covered by heat-insulating material which is partly supported by means of collars 28 welded to the tube portions I3.

During operation, mercury is heated in the tubes I Il at temperatures of the order of 1000 F. This, as stated before, requires special supporting means oi the tubes and the walls, permitting relative expansion between them. In the present arrangement each tube isA provided with a laterally extending supporting lug 29 near the upper end of the combustion chamber. These lugs extend radially outward into the wall 20 and are secured to the tubes by welds 30. Thus the annular row of tubes is provided with a plurality of separate supporting lugs welded to the back of the tubes (Fig. 2). The lugs rest on a supporting member or ring 3I partly embedded in the insulating wall 20 and having an outer cylindrical surface with four uniformly spaced projections 32, each projection including two side walls 33 and 34 secured to the supporting ring 3| by welds 36 and a bottom plate 36 secured to the walls 33, 34 by welds 31. The supporting ring 3| with the projections 32 are yieldingly held on a fixed support. The xed support includes horizontal beams 38 secured to vertical beams 39, which latter rest ona foundation 40. The connection between the beam structure and the projections 32 comprises vertical rods 4| held at their upper end on the beams 38 and compression springs 42 surrounding the lower portions of the rods 4| and engaging at their upper ends the bottom plates 36 and at their lower ends end plates or washers 43 held on the rods. spring 42 is enclosed in a casing 43a welded at its upper end to the bottom plate 36. With this arrangement the tube structure, particularly the portions of the tubes lining the wall in the combustion space, is yieldingly supported by means external the boiler wall. The upper tube portions I3 are supported on the drum, which latter is held on upper beams 44 by means of U-shaped links 45. With the support of the tubes on the drum and near the upper end of the combustion chamber, the shape of the curved tube portions I2 and the spacing of these portions is maintained during operation. In other words, the support of the vertical tubes lining the combustion chamber near the upper end thereof prevents the vertical tubes from exerting downwardly directed forces on the curved tube portions l2.

As shown in-Figs. 2 and 3 the tubes are slightly spaced circumferentially. It is important to maintain this spacing and also to prevent the tubes from curving inward towards the combustion chamber during operation in order to eiect uniform heating of the tubes and to prevent burning of the walls 20. This is accomplished according to my invention by the provision of means for guiding the tubes on the wall 20. This means, as will be seen presently, also serves to support the walls 20 on the supporting ring 3|. Each tube is provided with vseveral vertically spaced guiding lugs 46,'each lug being in the form of a U-shaped member with the legs thereof secured to the tube by welds 46a and the base disposed vertically in a corresponding recess 41. Embedded in the wall 20 and projecting into the recesses 41 thus formed are several vertically spaced rings 48. The U-shaped guide lugs. more specifically the vertical base portions thereof, project through openings 49 in said rings (Fig. 4)

Ihe vertically spaced rings are fastened to vertical supporting rods 50 by welds 60a. The rods have upper ends united with the supporting ring 3| by means of welds 5|. The supporting rods 6|) with the rings 4B serve to guide the tubes I0 in the combustion space and to support the wall 20. Thus the rings 48 vconstitute both guide mem- -bers for the tubes l0 and supporting. members for the wall 20. The rods 53 are substantially surrounded by the insulating wall but slightly spaced therefrom to permit relative expansion between the material of the wall and the rods.

As stated above, each guiding lug 46 is located in a recess 41. The circumferential width of the recess is only slightly greater than the thickness of the lug 46. Adjacent recesses are separated by heat resistant wall portions 52. 'Ihese wall portions 52 form stops for ,the guide lugs 46, permitting only slight circumferential movement of the guide lugs and the tubes fastened thereto relative to the wall 20. Thus the circumferential spacing of the tubes will be maintained during Each operation by the stops formed by wall portions 62 intermediate amacent recesses. The outer surface of the wall 20 is enclosed by the sheet metal casing 2| which comprises an upper portion 63 surrounding the upper portion of the wall 23 and the drum I4 and a lower portion 64 surrounding the wall of the combustion chamber and welded to the supporting ring 3|. I'he upper end of the casing portion 64 forms a sliding Joint 65 with the lower end of the 4casing portion 63. With this arrangement the outer casing is free to expand relative to the insulating wall 20 and also relative to the heating tubes I6. The heating tubes I3, the wall 2l and the lower casing portion 64 for the combustion chamber have a common supporting means including the supporting ring 3|.

As stated above, means are provided to limit circumferential relative movement between the tubes and to guide the tubes along the Wall, thereby reducing the tendency of the tubes to curve inward towards the combustion space and preventing excessive stresses from being set up in the tubes. As an additional means to maintain the tubes taut and in vertical alinement. the boiler has a lower bottom wall or casing portion separate from the walls 23 and hung or supported on the lower ends of the tubes. The bottom 66 forms an opening 61 for the supply of fuel and air and is supported on an end or bottom plate 58. The latter is held on a plurality of rods 63 having lower portions welded to the plate 63 and upper portions welded to the annular header I6, the latter being embedded in the bottom wall 66.

With this arrangement the bottom wall Amay move.

vertically relative to the side wall 20 and be supported substantially entirely on the lower ends of the tubes I0. The latter will maintain their vertical position during operation. Means forming a sliding joint 60 are provided to seal the outer casing 64 against the bottom wall in order to prevent leakage of air into the combustion chamber. Certain features of the arrangement described above form a part of the application of W. L f-R. Emmet, Serial No. 215,827, led on June 25, 1938, and assigned to the same assignee as the present application.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A boiler comprising a wall, a plurality of vertical heating tubesk lining the wall, and means slidably guiding the tubes on the wall and permitting movement of the tubes relative to the wall and relative to each other comprising a plurality of vertically spaced members rigidly secured to each tube, each member having a portion spaced from the tube and parallel thereto, other members rigidly fastened to the Wall each other member having an opening through which said portion slidably extends, and a support for the upper ends oi' the tubes whereby the weight of the tubes keeps them taut.

2. A boiler comprising a wall forming a combustion space and having a recess on the combustion side, a plurality of substantially parallel, vertically arranged heating tubes lining the wall on the combustion side, each tube having a U- shaped member with legs fused to the tube and a base spaced from and extending parallel to the tube, the U-shaped vmembers being disposed within the recess, and a member partly embedded in the wall and having a portion with a plurality of openings projecting into the recess, the base portions of the U-shaped members projecting through the openings and forming small clearaeeaeee ances therewith to guide the tubes and to permit relative movement between the individual tubes and to prevent them from moving away from the wail during operation, and a support for the up per ends oi the tubes whereby the weight of the tubes ireeps them taut.

3. rl boiler including the combination oi walls iorming a chamber, a row ci heating tubes lining the wall in the chamber and means for supporting the tubes and the Wall and permitting relative movement between them, said means comprising a supporting member, lugs welded to upper portions oi the tubes and engaging the supporting member, vertical rods secured to the supporting member and vertically spaced plates secured to the rods and having portions einbedded in the wall.

il. .il boiler including the combination oi walls iorming a heating chamber, a row oi vertical heating tubes lining the wall oi the chamber and means slidably guiding the tubes and permitting relative vertical movement between them and the wall, said means comprising a plurality oi vertical rods enclosed in the wall, a support ior the rods, vertically spaced plates secured to the rods and a plurality ci vertically spaced guide members secured to the tub-es and slidably engaging the plates.,

5. n boiler including the combination oi walls forming a heating chamber, a row ci vertical heating tubes lining the wall oi the chamber and means guiding the tubes and permitting relative movement between them and the wall, said means comprising a plurality oi vertical rods, a support lor the upper ends oi the rods with 'their lower ends free to expand downward, vertically spaced plates secured to the rods and a pluraln ity oi vertically spaced guide members secured to the tubes and engaging the plates, the wall anijacent the heating tubes having recesses for the guide members and forming portions intermediate adjacent recesses to limit lateral movement oi the heating tubes.

ORLA l.. WOOD. 

